Tackling Rules Cited For Drop In Injuries

December 27, 1985|By Jon Van, Science writer.

Rules against head-first tackles in high school and college football have produced a significant decline in crippling spinal injuries to players, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Sports Medical Center report.

These results confirm the theory that catastrophic injuries that rob athletes of the use of their arms and legs aren`t caused by ``freak accidents`` but by physical forces that can be observed, predicted and prevented, the Philadelphia-based researchers said.

Spinal injuries in other sports such as diving, gymnastics, ice hockey and rugby also may be reduced by initiating changes in technique and equipment, the researchers suggest.

The report, published in Friday`s Journal of the American Medical Association, is a follow-up to a 1975 study that found most football players who became quadriplegics were injuried during tackles. The practice of using a player`s head and helmet as a battering ram against an opponent appeared to be responsible for these spine-crushing injuries.

The practice, called ``spearing,`` was seen as focusing all the force of impact upon the spinal column while other forms of contact allowed the forces to dissipate through muscles in the back, said the researchers headed by Dr. Joseph Torg.

Based on those early findings, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations banned head-first tackling in 1976.

``The occurence of permanent cervical quadriplegia decreased from 34 in 1976 to 5 in the 1984 season,`` said the researchers. A similar decline has been documented in lesser injuries to the spine, such as fractures and dislocations.

The practice of spearing had gained acceptance among coaches and players because modern helmets and masks provided enough protection to the head to invite it, the researchers note, but the injury potential to the spine was unanticipated.

The key to discovering this danger was to set up a national registry where information on serious football injuries could be compiled for comparison and study.